


'I Almost Lost You'

by RoyallyJeleanor



Series: Jeleanor Drabbles [2]
Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Jaspenor - Freeform, Jeleanor, the royals - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 21:10:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8463055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyallyJeleanor/pseuds/RoyallyJeleanor
Summary: A drabble written for the quote 'I almost lost you.' Set straight after Season 2. I got quite into this one so it's pretty long for a drabble but never mind :)





	

Jasper let out a shaky breath as he watched the arm on the clock tick slowly, another hour passing into the endless blur that had been the last three days. His palms were clammy where they gripped onto Eleanor’s left hand tightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to pull apart from her long enough to wipe them. There was no way he was letting her out of his sight and out of his reach until she was awake, and even then he knew that it would only be when he was forced to.

He'd spent a terse five minutes persuading Helena to let him be by her bedside in the hospital, and by persuading, he meant more like arguing. Helena had told him to return to the hospital, that there was nothing he could do sitting with Eleanor but he may at least be able to be of some use back at work. However, he knew that was not the case. No matter where he was his mind was filled with thoughts of Eleanor, who was currently laid unconscious in a hospital bed, and the only way he was going to let her out of his side was if he was physically removed and held against his will.

He could feel his heavy eyelids starting to droop and he gave his head a quick shake to try and wake himself. He’d gotten a few hours’ sleep the day before, but only when he had accidentally fallen asleep against the side of Eleanor’s bed, his head bent forward uncomfortably as he had been unable to stop himself from doxing off. But, there was no way he was going to wilfully succumb to sleep, not when Eleanor’s condition could change within the blink of an eye. He _needed_ to know that she was going to be okay and despite the doctor’s constant reassurances that she was going to be fine, he couldn’t believe it until he saw Eleanor wake up before his own eyes.

He could feel his eyes stinging again, but there were no more tears left within him to shed, his body drained. He was glad that Helena and Liam had returned to the palace, surprisingly letting him stay the night in Eleanor’s room without a fuss. He didn’t want them to see what a wreck he was.

Jasper had managed to hide most of his emotions from them, until Liam had moved towards him unexpectedly and wrapped him in his arms in one of the first proper hugs he had received in years. He hadn’t been able to resist returning the gesture, squeezing the younger man’s shoulders as he felt Liam shake slightly beneath him. Dampness had soon soaked into the young Prince’s shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind, both of them enjoying the comfort from a friend.

‘She’s lucky to have you,’ Liam had murmured as he had pulled away, his eyes red rimmed and swollen. ‘Even if she doesn’t see it herself yet.’

Shaking his head Jasper let out a jagged breath, ‘I’m the lucky one.’ With anyone else he would have been embarrassed by how strained and hoarse his voice sounded but with Liam he felt some of his walls fall and he found he wasn’t bothered about hiding himself.

Liam simply gave him a small smile in response and patted his back affectionately. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Liam told him as he made his way out of the room, pausing briefly to kiss a brotherly kiss on Eleanor’s forehead.

Breathing heavily Jasper tried to pull himself back to the present, his tired brain blurring flashbacks together in his head into a confusing montage that kept disorientating him. He needed to stay focussed and awake to help Eleanor.

Just as that thought passed through his mind he felt movement underneath his palm and looked down just in time to see Eleanor softly wiggle her fingers.

‘Eleanor?’ he gasped, standing quickly so that he could clearly see her face. Her eyes twitched and her eyebrows furrowed briefly into the same endearing frown she always does before she fully awakens and Jasper felt his heart stutter in his chest. When her eyes flickered open a few seconds later Jasper felt himself release a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding as his mouth spread into a dazzling grin.

‘Hey you,’ he whispered through the lump in his throat. He wasn’t sure how but his body had clearly re-filled with tears as his eyes filled with moisture which he had to blink away rapidly to ensure he had a fully unobscured view of the Princess and she gazed up at him.

‘Jasper?’ Eleanor finally managed after a painful swallow, her eyes trying to adjust to the harsh fluorescent lights.

‘I’m here,’ Jasper responded immediately, giving her hand a gentle squeeze which he was surprised to feel Eleanor return. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Sore,’ Eleanor murmured as she briefly glanced around him at her surroundings. ‘Where am I?’ she asked, a hint of panic and confusion in her voice.

‘You’re in the hospital. Some bastard at the stadium manged to smuggle in a gun and got a bit trigger happy. He claimed he didn’t mean to hit you but-‘ Jasper began to explain before realising he was babbling. ‘The police are dealing with it. You’re safe and the doctors say you should make a full recovery; you’ll just need to rest for a while.’

It took a few moments for the information to sink in, Eleanor’s mind fuzzy as she tried to process what Jasper had just told her. She didn’t have the energy right now to try and remember what had happened, but when Jasper told her she was safe she believed him and so she left that for another time.

Looking back up to meet Jasper’s gaze she noticed the sheen of tears in his eyes, which looked almost black with fatigue. His hair was a mess and his suit was crumpled, and when she focussed she realised his hands were shaking where they tightly held hers.

‘Jasper, you look exhausted, what happened to you?’ she asked breathily, scared of what else may have occurred while she was out.

‘I almost lost you,’ he whispered as he ran his thumb gently across the back of her hand, ‘and it was the scariest experience of my life.’

‘Jasper,’ Eleanor tried to stop him, her voice hoarse against her dry throat.

Shaking his head slightly to silence her Jasper continued, his chin quivering even as he spoke. ‘Eleanor I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you. I don’t think I could take it if you left me forever. I love you, baby,’ he whispered, a single tear making its way down his cheek slowly.

Jasper wasn’t one for grand gestures of declaring his feelings, but something about being in the hospital and the relief that he felt at being able to feel Eleanor’s pulse beating softly in her wrist had brought all of his emotions to the surface and there was nothing he could do to stop them from pouring out.

Eleanor felt her eyes widen in surprise, her chest tightening at Jasper’s words. She must be hearing things wrong; her mind must be playing tricks on her. ‘What?’ she asked in disbelief.

‘I love you, Princess. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my entire life and I couldn’t bear being in a world without you in it. I know you’ve asked me to leave and I will once I know you’re definitely going to be okay-‘ Jasper continued until Eleanor interrupted him in a surprisingly strong voice.

‘No.’

‘No?’ Jasper repeated dumbly, getting the wrong idea. ‘You don’t believe me? I love you Eleanor, I _promise_ you.’

Shaking her head before wincing slightly at the pain it sent searing down her back she sighed, ‘No, you don’t have to leave.’

Jasper’s mouth opened to reply but found no words would come out. ‘But-‘ he tried before stopping, his mouth open awkwardly.

‘I know I told you to leave, but you don’t have to,’ Eleanor told him, knowing that she was going to have to bury her fear and admit her feelings to make Jasper understand. ‘I love you too, and you were the one person I wanted to see when I woke up. I wanted you to leave because it was too hard to be around you and not admit my feelings but maybe it’s okay to admit how I feel if you feel the same.’

Jasper felt a fresh set of tears making tracks down his cheeks, his breath stuttering out of his chest in disbelief. ‘I can honestly say that that is the last thing I ever expected you to say to me,’ he whispered.

‘Well, what’s life without a few surprises?’ Eleanor attempted to joke, her laugh hurting her chest slightly.

‘I love you Eleanor, and I will stay by your side as long as you’ll let me,’ Jasper told her sincerely, running one of his hands gently across her cheek. ‘I promise I won’t hurt you again.’  
Nodding Eleanor smiled a small but genuine smile up at him, ‘I’ll hold you to that. But if you do I won’t be the one on the receiving end of a bullet,’ she joked.

Relief and happiness filling his bones Jasper grinned down at her, ‘if I do I’ll buy you the gun myself,’ he assured her before reaching down to press his lips gently against hers in a move he’d longed to perform for months.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Come and find me on tumblr @RoyallyJeleanor :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.


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